Fiction
by rasri
Summary: "A lot of superheroes have that idealist view, to protect the people you care, or even cared about."
1. Wake up alone

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

* * *

**Fiction**

___Wake up alone._

* * *

Her eyes flew open.

Blinking more times than she would've liked, at least – to confirm where she was – it was so bright at first, but once she looked around her. She stood up too fast only to double over from a tinge of 'nausea' she believes. At least she had experience of what Beast Boy always felt after witnessing Cyborg scoff down a dozen burgers down at the 'Wendy's'.

"Where... Where is this place." She mumbled to herself as she reached out to a wooden stool and held her stomach. "I wonder of happened..." She paused to take a look around, slowly. "I must have been separated from my friends." Her realisation came at a price as her gasp gave her stomach a minor ache.

She still had to support herself on the seat from her sudden dizziness as she clenched her teeth to hold in the sickness she felt at the bottom of her stomach.

Doo-wop music abruptly began playing, startling the alien girl who almost tripped on the vintage carpet as she jumped out of her seat.

The catchiness of the song made her think of that one time she and Raven had to break into an abandoned warehouse in the countryside, when she accidentally tripped on a radio that randomly began playing a tune that echoed through the building, giving their position away. Raven had to separate her from the device before she was attacked by various household tools, one that destroyed it. It did put her off; she wanted to keep it.

Recovering after a while, she traced the song to be coming from an old style vintage jukebox which looked newly polished whilst smoothly playing the jet black record. She figured the longer she stared at the disk the more sleepy she was going to get. The slight fluctuations of the light reflecting from it almost hypnotised her, and she wanted to sleep her condition away and when she woke up it would only be to the sound of her friends calling her name, and the alarm that alerted all Titans, or her communicator-

Her communicator.

She cupped her hand around the yellow device, putting her ear next to it as she pressed and held down on a button, and when there was nothing but static noises being met she turned on the screen, which gave out a tiny light, and an even weaker signal as indicated by its' '_No Service_' status.

And without a signal was practically useless if she were to try and contact not just her friends but any receiving station at all. Starfire walked around various settlements of the room and held it up arm's length above her if the bar on the screen would only just increase, before deeming it hopeless.

Holding a firm grip on it, as if it would beep to life if she put enough frustration into it. She sighed to no avail, but kept it on her belt just in case if she could get it to work later on, or if the Titans from the other line could create a stronger signal to reach her sometime.

Starfire hoped it was soon.

And once again she had another reason to believe she had been held captive and from experience, will be separated from her teammates for a long time.

This wasn't good.

She fell to her knees. She wasn't anticipating this at all – all the times she had been kidnapped she knew who it was and aware of their motives which were sinister, but that anything it had always been conspicuous places like plantations, ports and even broken playgrounds or historic sites. But never in a classic setting that felt warm and relatively safe like this one. She couldn't believe it, but it felt even more perilous because of how comfortable she was, meaning that she was subconsciously unaware or would not react in time if something were to... change the scenery. That or it was another one of Mad Mod's deceptive tricks. She really didn't want to be another one of his so called 'duckies' again.

It didn't make a difference to her situation. No matter how tranquil the place seemed.

Someone's voice seemed to correspond to the scenery too. A very charming, handsome voice.

"Anything I can get you?" Called a low voice from above. Her eyes directed above and immediately stared upwards to meet with a rather stoic face looking down at her.

"_H__ow__ long has he been standing there_?" She became worried, as she kept stumbling before finally standing up, and held onto the bar for support as she sheepishly smiled. Although she was relieved that she wasn't the only person in the room, meaning that she had company, gave her a glimmer of hope that she could endure this situation. Maybe he was a captive too, but it doesn't look like that. It looks like he was... A frequent visitor here, she deduced according to his apparent similarity, and that he seemed like he worked here, as he was behind the counter.

"You must have really taken a fall. You're in a pub. I'm your bartender." He said, a piece of white cloth wrapped around his hand and scrunched up inside a newly-washed and rinsed glass, to his side were ones that had already been wiped and polished to perfection.

"Oh." Was all she could muster up. She felt a little bewildered, the young man in front of her, standing confidently and coolly like nothing bothered him about the fact that nobody else was in the room but her – but maybe considering the time it was normal? But he knew she fell, meaning he must have known how she was here in the first place. When she tried to recall recent memories her thoughts were overcome by a headache and she lost her grip again. This time it wasn't just on the side but she felt a rather loose grip on reality, and won't be surprised if she had to wake up again from this... Daydream? Was that what Raven had always claimed Beast Boy to be doing when she tried to elaborate on what she had been reading when he asked? Then he would be out of his 'snap' when she threw the book across his head.

She wasn't the least swayed that she just collapsed and sprawled out on the floor, he only looked straight into her eyes, almost demandingly without words, and proceeded with his line of work.

What an odd but normal young man.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Um... I wish for some water, please?" She slowly replied, coughing from the dust that accumulated when she landed on the carpet, but more than that she was worried about offending him. She didn't understand herself, why it felt so natural to request for water. The place was like a delusion, It was slowly reeling her in on an invisible line, making her forget her current predicament. She needed to ask, before she would do the 'blacking out' again.

"... Right away." He said before reaching above to get a glass, and disappeared. She could only guess 'water' was not a popular choice amongst pub attenders.

There was a 'clack' when the glass was placed in front of her.

"Oh,-" she hesitated whether or not it was earthly mannerisms to ask for his name, "I am sorry, um-, but thank you-"

But he seems to understand. "Jason." He eyed her carefully, "Jason Todd."

"Thank you for this cold beverage, Jason Todd." Relieved he covered that for her, she took a sip with both hands and then looked at him, who only nodded and continued drying the line of glasses on the side. "This is a very nice song." She said more to herself than the bartender. She turned to look around the room once more, appreciating the interior décor.

She observed his work for a while, which mostly consisted of drying, wiping and tidying. He did not once leave his personal workplace, and seemed quite content, transferring the cutleries and tableware back into the room behind him, which she assumed to be the kitchen. But when she saw him come out of the back room she assumed to be the kitchen, with a pile of plates to dry, she was reminded of her earlier suspicions.

"Do you always get this many... Or, lack of people?" She slapped her mouth shut as she realised how rude she must've sounded to him. He stopped at his tracks. Starfire did not have to look to confirm, but when the sudden quietness and the squeaking of the glass ceased, caused her to look at him intently, a little dumbfounded.

"Now, what makes you wonder that?"

"Because, it does not make any sense, given the arrangements of this room, it has been unoccupied for many years and yet it looks like it had been polished and well-kept despite there being no occupants or a sign of anyone who frequently visits," she said as she held a hand out for each parts of the room she described, walking all the way to the last photographs that lead to the corridor, and to a 'Hall of Fame' kind of display by the time she finished her detective work, not even out of breath. She recalled Robin doing the same for her when he took her to a sculpture exhibit a few months back, and he seemed very knowledgeable about each art forms, and each figure would have its creator's photograph in the guidebook he bought. When she questions why their photographs were in black and white, he explained how it was considered the norm back then.

She tried to compare the pub's monotone prints with a museum exhibit. She was happy to, in fact, despite the look on Jason Todd's face becoming a little tired at various points he continued to listen as she even gave him an insight about how black and white photographs came to become so popular like Robin did... except possibly maybe his introduction having been a little shorter than hers when she retold it.

"I see. Did that help?"

"Well, I suppose. Do you still keep old black and white photographs of your family, Jason Todd?"

"Not exactly."

"Oh, w-well..." Robin did mention how some people could become _slightly_ uncomfortable when people asked them invasive questions, especially touchy subjects like family, their belongings, their weight... maybe that was what she just did? She panicked and she tried to shift the conversation away from familial views. "Because I assume you work here it would be appropriate for me to ask, how long have I been here?"

He considered her for a while, and an amused glance at her eyes as if he read her like an open book and he finally spoke.

"I'm afraid I simply can't tell you. Any more interesting inquiries."

His answer shocked her more than she had anticipated.

"I-I do not understand, you must know, you were here, looking down at me when I awoke-"

"I think you are simply tired, Miss."

"... No, I am not tired, Jason Todd." She said, leaning towards him as her vision became a little blurred, as if a very dull lamp was held right in front of her, as she tried to blindly link it away to create a clear view of the bartender. He took a step towards her

He cupped her chin and softly traced her bottom lip like he was trying to carve it into his mind, although at that point Starfire was unsure if he looked like he was actually entranced, or speculating something. He looked almost... Bored yet pondering something, like her sudden disorientated movements and dazed facial features was something he was growing accustomed to. He leaned on the back on his hand, elbow on the counter.

"Yes, you are." He said, tilting to the side as if he was mocking her. Their figures were only separated by the wooden counter, the shine wearing off as Starfire dropped the glass she held onto it before falling forward.

"Urg-"

Jason Todd caught her form before she planted her face on the shattered debris, the remains of the glass.

She was right, he hummed.

"This is nice song."


	2. Daylight Beneath

...

* * *

**Fiction**

___Daylight beneath._

* * *

She stumbled backwards and winced when her shoulder knocked against the side of the stool. "This does not feel very good..." She let herself slowly slide down and put the back of her head against it.

"I'm sure it wasn't supposed to, cutie, if you're not sitting on it, and I'm not the one leaning against you." That nickname sounded awfully familiar.

But then again, so did the song.

She reluctantly turned. _No. No. No. No. No..._

"No...!"

"Ahaha, here we go." She heard him sigh before he pulled her up from her slouched form. "I guess I'm supposed to call you 'Miss' or 'Young Lady', considering the setting, right?" He continued before he went through the door that connected to the bar and appeared at the other side of her seat, leaning on the mahogany frame. "Why are you starring at me like that? Oh, you don't get a drink because you're underaged. Want some pop?" He said as he began examining the workplace.

"You, you!" Her eyes radiated the already lit space between them as she reached out and down to grab him by his suit.

"Yes, I'm the criminal mastermind behind this scheme, cutie. Let go." He sarcastically admitted before pulling out from her vice grip. "I'm as confused as you are. But I also think that there are more important things to be worrying about right now, and if you want to see, or even survive to see how your Titan friends are doing, I suggest we start investigating around here..." He paused to add, "cutie." He dropped a note in his voice.

"Hm. This song," he said before placing a glass of a fizzing drink in front of her. "We could dance to it one day... on our date."

"You are quite deceived. And we are not, as I will never accept you as a 'date'."

"Are you sure its not because you don't know how to dance?" He asked to her, and confirmed he was right when he saw the shocked look on her face, "though on the contrary, it could be proposed that we're on a date right now. I'm going the extra mile, though, cutie. Being the only two people and all, isn't this romantic?"

"If what constitutes you as being able to title yourself as my 'date' is pouring a cold beverage into a glass then your concept of a 'romantic' is quite deluded, Red-X, just like how you are."

"Did you want another." He said dismissively. She shot him an irritated look. "Either way, if you want to get out of here I suggest we introduce teamwork into the regimen, shall we?" He smiled inside his mask, Starfire could tell he was enjoying her demise, and her annoyed tone even more so.

"I cannot believe that you are also trapped here." She refrained from saying that she was stuck with him, it wasn't good.

"Who says I'm trapped? Maybe I want to be here." He said suggestively. "Or maybe I just wanted to keep a certain lady company while she's cluelessly caught."

"I will certainly not betray my friends and help you, so please spare me of your 'big' ideas, as your past crimes will not convince me that you have decided to reform in this convenient situation, Red-X."

"Not all who wander are lost, cutie, and not all thieves steal for the sake of self interest." He chuckled, "you fight criminals. It's not all black and white. And if we don't get out of here by a reasonable amount time so god help me I will break something."

* * *

"What do you remember before I found you?" He asked her carefully. "C'mon, cutie, you have to at least tell me that if I can make the smallest sense of what is going on here."

She sighed.

"I will tell if you you will do the same in return."

"Perhaps."

"Then you do not have the deal."

"Cutie, I can go on for as long as need be. I know why I'm here, but not the type for sharing. I need to know how you got here, because I don't think you have as much choice as I do." He sighed and put a gloved hand on his mask. "I can help you."

After struggling to keep glaring at him, seeing if he'll change his mind, she finally decided to tell him, not that it would make a big difference to their situation in the end. She resolved with telling him from the point of her waking up.

"I was sitting here, drinking water given to me by the bartender... the bartender who avoided questions." She gasped, "where is he? I think I have fallen asleep when he said I was tired when I was not truly and then-"

"Slow down, cutie. I can tell you now, there were no other people when I found you."

"T-That is impossible... He gave me a cold drink, on the counter, broken glass...!" She straightened up and turned to the counter, expecting to find pieces of broken glass and darkened wood from the wetness, there was nothing by polished, shiny wood. "This cannot be..."

Starfire then begins to tell him of her accounts from the moment she opened her eyes. Even detailing about her unresponsive communicator the time she and Robin went to the museum together. And the popular black and white photographs. She heard him sigh at various parts of her explanation, even if she tried to make it as accurate as possible by using her arms and hand gesture, and re-enactments of how she on the floor when she first woke.

"We all hallucinate at times, but now is not the time." Red-X then approached the table, earning a sharp glare from her. "Don't think the guy exists, though."

"He was quite ambiguous but I can testify without a doubt, he is the bartender named Jason Todd." She crossed her arms and walked a few steps behind him.

"Really."

"Yes." She replied confidently, loathing the doubting masked figure in front of her at the moment for disbelieving her accounts. "We did not converse a lot, but he does seem to know something about this place, he was, however, unwilling to tell me if this place was occupied before I came."

"Wow. Bartender Todd seems to know a thing or two, so it seems."

"It was a fruitless attempt for me to ask him. I would enquire and he would give me vague answers. As I have told him, nobody has been here in years and yet it has been kept so neat and no dust of rabbits occupy." She said.

"Dust bunnies, cutie."

"That is ri- Why are you so nonchalant about this? Does it not concern you, that he could help us get out-"

"Well if this guy does exist, has it ever occurred to you that he may be the one who's been keeping this place spotless?" Red-X asked,

"Then why is he not here any more..."

"I've already checked, cutie. Nobody's getting out... But neither is anyone getting in." This sent shivers down Starfire's spine, unnaturally so.

"Oh..." She squeezed her arms and pulled them closer to her body, as if a sudden chill came into the room. She headed for the nearest chair and sat.

"Afraid you won't see Boy Wonder again?" She winced.

"... No. Robin and Cyborg and Beast Boy and friend Raven will find a way to help me, to help us."

"Really."

"Why are you do doubtful, Red-X? Does your gadget not work any more?" She inquired snidely.

"Well, at the moment, it's out of juice."

"Um, orange-"

Somehow he knew she would ask him that.

"Synothium, cutie. It powers the suit, as we've both so kindly established that the last time we met."

"You should not have been doing the robbing-"

"Not all thieves steal for themselves, remember?"

"But that was on the contrary during our last encounter." She argued, not yielding to the masked man.

"It has always been a pleasure to cross you and the Titans, cutie." He said,

"You had almost gotten Robin killed, so it most definitely was not a pleasure ride at all-"

"Now chuckles wasn't always the most... _expressive_ of your team, I was simply trying to lighten him up."

And they bickered from thereon, until Starfire began laughing at one of his last ventures, and she stayed there in her seat, leaning on her palm. As the minutes, and hours went by. Eventually her face was squash on the table, where she fell sleep.

* * *

So far, they had only established that they were in a 60's pub judging not only from the various frames containing black and white photos and a variety of art forms, but that none of them were addressed beyond the year 1969.

Oh, and that they have been stuck for at least two days now, and both of them changed into... better wear. Although Red-X might have mentioned that it did not matter if they weren't getting out any time soon, Starfire simply changed into a spare bartender outfit behind the back, even though it was quite loose on her it smelled better than her previous costume.

Just thank god the pub had restrooms.

The thing that drove him to the edge was that she profusely refuses to crash the place with her powers, because she was called a 'hero' by Robin, the person she so highly respected, oh so many times, and how cool her starbolts were that she would not use it for destruction. But she did tell him she would if they were in danger, she kept counting on the fact that her friends would rescue them, and if they somehow keep track of the day, if they do not get pass the fourth day she will break the building open, but so hesitant when Red-X confirmed that wherever they were, the pub was rock bottom. Literally. It was a basement, and the exit going upwards was neatly plastered in solid concrete. It was a deliberate effort to trap them there. What worried him was if she breaks any time soon, judging by the state of the place it was connected to a hotel, spacious and a stage for live stage shows, if this place goes down, so will the hundreds of guests above, and not even superpowers could save all those people.

"I assure you, the outfit smells delightful, though dusty... It is quite clean!" She tried handing him one for the fifth time.

"No, cutie." Then an idea came to mind. "Unless you want to undress me yourself, I'll happily oblige." She could hear the amusement in his voice.

Starfire hovered away wearily, holding the extra clothing in front of her as if some kind of cover.

Now that put an end to her tedious request.

He sighed.

"I could set off the remaining parts left of the Synothium, if I place it on the least stable edge of the room, and that would set off just enough reaction to break and tip the balance." He went on, "that is, if you don't do it any time soon, cutie."

"I have told you, there is one person we must try to find before we leave, that is the bartender-"

"Jason Todd. I got it." He said with a groan. The conversation never really did shift away from that topic.

"Well, then, I shall serve us something to drink," she said as she floated to the counter, getting used to pouring the drinks now. That's how long it's been. A whole two days, pouring, and pouring, the time it takes to fill one glass.

When she came back to the guest seats, she noticed Red-X examining the photos on the wall.

"Is this what you call, a 'nostril'?"

"Urh, it's nostalgia, cutie."

"Yes, you are reminiscing the past, are you not?"

"Nope, just tried to imagine if there were something behind these pictures. Then-"

"Then we could make an exit-"

"Not exactly. "Although I do think some nice antiquities should be kept and looked after. People tend to keep a safe hidden behind old paintings and-"

"You were going to steal it."

"A thief through and through, cutie." He chuckled as he opened his arms and shrugged. Starfire was sure he was grinning behind that white mask of his, and narrowed her eyes. Before she could contend that she saw him place a thumb on one of the figures of the photograph, which made her remember a previous session she had with an elusive bartender.

"I do think it is sad, however." She said, her eyes averted from the slits in his mark to his fingers that almost seemed to be softly brushing some dust away from the glass.

"Why?"

"Jason Todd said that he did not keep photographs of his family, or people he considers to be close. Is that not restrictive?"

"Sounds like someone who lives in solitude. Some people have first-hand experience of what that's like." Starfire did not miss the drop in his tone as he said that, but decided to not enquire further.

"... That's why it is so sad."

"Don't worry, cutie. Everyone keeps photos of people they may or may not care about." He said as-a-matter-of-factly as he approached the next framed photo and studied it, tracing around the intricate patterns on the sides, almost playfully, entertained by the things she notices.

Starfire straightened up and took a deep breath. "That is absurd, you would only keep memorable pictures of people you cherish, what else would you keep it for?"

"As a poster for target practice." She glared at him. "Darting?"

He decided to keep quiet when she shot him an annoyed glance.


End file.
